Velkan and Orphran
by Altimate
Summary: A orphan boy named Velkan is given the chance of a lifetime the chance to become a rider. But he must serve Galbatorix. Follows own story line, until the point of Murtaugh's escape from Galbatorix's evil lair.read my other story, the jewel of tibir!
1. The beginning

Current day

_Wake up Velkan, we are in danger_.

It was midnight, in Uru'baen, and a boy of thirteen named Velkan was in great Danger.

Two years before Eragon finds Saphira

It had all started when he was twelve. He had come from a poor family, and constantly had to work to pay Gallbatorix's harsh taxes. One day, his family had gotten a job in Gallbatorix's own castle, though it was rumored to be a place of sorrow and misery, it was also the highest paying job that they had ever had.

So Velkan and his parents took the job. It was a lot of work, and they were forced to sleep in a cave, and were given meager amounts of food.

Then one day, Velkan's father was being yelled at by one of the guards. Then the guard got angry, and killed him on the spot. His mother started to scream at the guard, sobbing for her husband.

"YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED HIM! HOW COULD YOU?"

"Stop yer yellin' lady, I did what I had to do."

"When the king finds-"

"The king isn't going to care, he considers you _slaves_ to be expendable."

"Don't you _dare_ insult my husband."

"You had better show me some respect, or you'll get the same fate as your _poor_ husband." He delivered the word poor in a mocking tone. Velkan's mother continued to cry. "That's it, I've had enough of you." Said the guard, and he stabbed her in the stomache."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" said Velkan. "You want the same?" asked the guard, "If not then shut up." Velkan, not wanting to die, obeyed grudgingly, and finished his chores.

On his way back to the cave, he noticed Gallbatorix's sitting room was open. He quickly peeked inside. It was empty. He silently debated against himself whether or not to go in. Finally, he entered. On a table made out of what seemed to be gold, sat a Brown rock. He picked it up, and remembered how he had used to go hiking with his parents, and find rocks with them all the time. A small tear fell from his eye, and hit the rock.

Suddenly, the rock began to vibrate. It started to crack, and light shone through it. _The king will surely have me killed for this. Maybe if he is mad enough, he will do it himself. I don't want to die. I am alone. Whatever Gods are up there, please, don't let me die alone. _

Just then a small brown head emerged from the rock. _Oh Gods, it's a dragon!_

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How did you like it? My first attempt at a fan fic. R&R, please! Sorry it's so short, but it was originally meant to be a prolouge.


	2. A Good First Day

I don't own any of these characters, though I wish that I did. Anyone that you don't recognize is mine though. The rest belong to C.P. Though. I made a mistake in the first chapter though. Velkan is thirteen when he is with Gallbatorix, and _fifteen_ when he is danger in Uru'baen.

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A Good First Day

_I have just hatched a dragon_! Thought Velkan.

The rest of the body was becoming visible, as the dragon's egg cracked. Finally, there was nothing left of the rock but some dust. The dragon began to poke around, and touched Velkan's hand. Immeadiettley, he felt a burning sensation in his hand. What he saw was most startling. There, on his hand, there was a shining silver dot.

Abruptly, he heard a large booming voice "Very good boy, I had been hoping that it would hatch for someone. Now Come here." Velkan turned around to see King Gallbatorix sitting on his throne. "Don't just stand there boy, come, now." Velkan did as he was told, bringing the dragon with him. He didn't know what had happened, but he felt connected to this dragon, like he had never felt connected to anything in his entire life.

He kneeled in front of Gallbatorix, and said "Oh Sire, what has happened? I curiously walked into this room, and picked up a rock that interested me. Now, however, I have a dragon."

"Yes, Velkan, I can see that."

"How did you know my name?"

"I know many things about you. One of which is that you fear death."

"I-I-"

"Enough. You now have a choice to make. You will either serve me as a dragon rider, and help unite all of Algaisia, or you will die. What is your decision."

"I-I will serve you."

"Good, now you will go to the second tower, and you will dwell in the first room on the left. It is also filled with some books that you may find, _interesting_. We will talk more in the morning."

"Thank you sir." Said Velkan, as he walked towards the door. "Oh, and one more thing, you are no longer a servant in my household."

"May I take my dragon to my room sire?" Asked Velkan. "Of coarse." Said the king. And with that, Velkan left.

In his room, Velkan studied his dragon more closely. It had large legs and feet, and it's teeth seemed to be as sharp as a throwing dart.

"What shall I call you?" asked Velkan. The dragon stared at him, and he saw mental pictures of books. "Ahhh, the books that the king was talking about, thank you dragon."

Velkan opened a book, and observed many different dragons, their names, and their histories. He casually flipped pages, with his dragon watching with it's ever probing eyes, until he found a section devoted to dragons that looked like his. Fully grown, they were large, with bulging muscles.

"It says here that your kin were the strongest, physically, of the dragons, grew the fastest, and were the bearers of riders with more of a warrior's passion." Read Velkan. _I've never thought of myself as a warrior, but then, if I was picked by a warrior dragon, I must be. _

He continued to ponder this, absentmindedly stroking the dragon, until he remembered that he had no parents. He became angered, and the dragon bared it's teeth, and clawed the air.

"I'm an orphan," he told the dragon, "But then, so are you, your mother is gone, and your only kin exist in eggs. You're an orphan." Velkan noticed that the dragon purred slightly, whenever he said the word "orphan". "That's what I'll call you, not orphan, but Orphran." The dragon sent him feelings of happiness, and Velkan's mind fell at ease.

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The next day, Velkan awoke to Orphran in his mind. _He's hungry,_ thought Velkan, _And so am I. We need to get some food._

He lethargically climbed out of bed, and rubbed his eyes, while Orphran nipped at his elbow. _Huh_ thought Velkan, _Yesterday Orphran was only up to my knee. _He puzzled over this for a little bit, then the words of the book came back to him : _The brown, or earth, dragons are known for their speed and combat on the ground, as well a being the fastest to mature, and for carrying legandary warrior riders. _

_Well, that explains it, before I know it, we'll be talking. _Velkan promptly got dressed, and went down stairs to meet the king.

He continued into the hall, and saw the king sitting in his throne room.

"Sire, I have come to speak with you as you have instructed." Said Velkan. "Very good, now, have you been communicating with your dragon?" He asked. Velkan nodded. "I have sir, and I have named him Orphran." The king looked at him with his perpetually stern face. "Good, I trust you have been reading the books in your room."

"I have." Velkan said. "Then tell me, what is the mark on your palm called?" Asked Gallbatorix. "It is called the gedwey insignia, and it lights up whenever I use magic." Said Velkan confidently.

"Good," said Gallbatorix, "Now, I already have more pressing matters. I will instruct you in battle, and persuasion, but you must swear me your unwavering loyalty. Is that clear?" Velkan suddenly felt intimidated, but swore his loyalty to him all the same. "Eat breakfast, and then report to the sparring chamber. Also, a word of advice, it may be best if you do not bring your dragon to the more populated areas of the castle. I do not want rumors to leak out, saying that a new rider has arisen. That is all, you are excused." Velkan went to have breakfast, and fed Orphran as much food as he needed. He seemed to know when to stop, because of their bond. They finished, and entered the sparring chamber.

"Welcome," said Gallbatorix, "to the sparring chamber. I must know, are you profecient in any means of combat at all?" Velkan felt a sinking feeling. Riders were able to fly, defend themselves in a vast amount of ways, and use magic. He gulped. "No sir. I only know how to fight with my fists." The king looked slightly crestfallen, but said "It is but a minor setback. You will train here, until midday. Then, you will eat lunch, and train with me in the practical arts of dragon riding. You will end your training at night, and will be free to do as you please."

"As you wish, my king." said Velkan. The king left, and a man entered the room. He was average height, bald, and highly muscled, with a sword and sheath clinging to his belt. "Good day, rider. I am Craran, and I am here to teach you to wield a weapon, correct?" Velkan nodded. "Then follow me." Velkan followed him to a large weapons rack. Craran took a short sword from the rack, and said "This is only a short sword, but I think that it will fit you reasonably well."

"Now, here is a form that I would like you to practice." He swung his sword up, and to the left, stabbed the air, and twirled it around in front of him. The next two hours consisted of practicing that technique, going over exercises, and talking of different battle scenarios.

"Your day's training is now complete. You will eat a midday meal, and report to the king. Also, I would like you to read these books. They are all about the art of warfare, and you would be wise to memorize every last bit, as they will someday come in handy." Velkan left, got some food from the kitchens, and met Orphran in his room.

"Hello there Orphran. I got us some food." Suddenly, he sensed a feeling of strength, and saw that Orphran was glowing. There was a flash of light, and he was the same size as Velkan. "H-How?" he asked. His question was not intended to be answered, but he got one anyway. _Thank you, Velkan._ Came a voice from the inside of his head

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How did you like it? I tried to make it longer this time, and combined three chapters in the process.

Oh well. Please review though, I really need them.


	3. Magic

I would just like to say that none of the characters that you recognize are mine. The ones that you don't ARE mine. This is my longest chapter yet (I think) Please R&R Read and review.

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Chapter 3 Magic

"Did you just speak?" asked Velkan, suddenly elated. _Yes, but if you want to talk to me, then direct your thoughts to me_. Velkan concentrated on directing his thoughts to Orphran, and then replied, with his mind. _Okay. Now where did you learn the language?_

_I studied your memories. Now eat, and we will go to Gallbatorix for lessons in practical riding skills._ Said Orphran. So they ate, and reported to Gallbatorix.

Upon entering the room, the king spoke. "Well, it seems that young Orphran has grown. Very good. From now on, at the top of the tower, the one that you sleep in, there is a dragonhold, it will be fixed accordingly, today, and you will have Orphran sleep there."

"Yes Sir." Said Velkan. "There is no need to call me sir, you will call me _master_, whenever we meet. Now, I will leave you with one of my most trusted spellweavers, Varinik, an elf halfling." Said Gallbatorix. He left, and minutes later Varinik arrived. "Hello," he said, "I am Varinik, and I will be teaching you magic. The first thing that you should know, is that everything in the world has a name in an ancient language. It describes the true nature of things. Now, I am going to put you asleep, and plant the most basic of words in your mind. When you awaken, I will assign you your first task." Velkan took a moment to take it all in, and said "Yes master."

Without warning, Varinik put him to sleep "_Slytha!_" Suddenly, Velkan's mind went blank, and he knew no more.

When he woke up, Varinik was standing over him. "Now," he said, holding out a small polished pebble. "I want you to raise this stone without using your body." Velkan concentrated on moving it, but nothing happened. _Orphran help!_ He said mentally. _There is nothing I can do. The words are already inside of you. You must look deep within yourself, and find the power with which to fuel your magic._ So velkan tried again. This time, he looked into the deepest crevices within his mind, until he found the barrier that separated him from the magic. Once he had taken it down, he felt a growing power within him. _That' s it_. He thought, and concentrated on lifting the stone.

Suddenly, words came out of his mouth, that he did not know. "_Stenr riesa!"_ Before he knew what he was doing, he lifted his right palm, where the dot in which Orphran had touched him, was glowing. The stone rose swiftly, and hovered in the air. Velkan kept it for minutes, until he felt the strength drain out of him, and he was becoming unconscious. _Orphran...Help._ He said mentally. _I will assist you Velkan. _Soon, he felt a newfound strength, and the stone stayed in the air. Finally, when most of his strength had diminished, but not to the point of falling unconscious, he moved it slowly to the ground, until it was hovering an inch above the ground, then, he let it go.

"Very good!" cried Varinik, "In all of my years, not even an elf could keep a stone floating like you did! Amazing! The king will be pleased that you have progressed. Now, I am going to teach you something a little but harder. I want you to make the room dark, and then light it, ok?" He asked. "Sure," said Velkan with newfound confidence, "it'll be a breeze." So he concentrated hard on finding the words for light and darkness. Finally, when he thought that he had them, he spoke aloud. "_Brakka Garjzla!"_ The results were instant darkness, as he had expected, but more of a increasingly lower dimming of the light, until it was completely dark.

Though this was not what he had wanted, it worked well all the same. "Different," said Varinik, "but effective nevertheless. It seems that instead of using the word for shadows, _Freohr_, you used the phrase _Brakka Garjzla._ That means Reduce Light. Now, I want you to _instantly_ light this room."

"Yes master," said Velkan, "_Garjzla_." Instantly, there was light. "Good," said Varinik, "Now, we can proceed to a harder exercise. This may be a bit advanced, but I want you to shield yourself from an attack."

Then, Varinik muttered a word, and fire shot out of his hand, it was an odd greenish color, and came at him lightning fast. But Velkan had been searching through his mind the entire time, and found the right words _"Nagz riesa moi stenr Skolir_!" he shouted. Then, a blanket rose, and immeadietly turned into stone, and became a shield for Velkan, which he held to repel the flames.

But the flames were not as strong as he had thought, and simply faded away into the shield. "Ha!" said Velkan, "this is not as _advanced_ as I thought!"

"I was wrong to underestimate your ability, young rider. You have proved very competent. But now, let us see if you can repel this!" Without warning, Varinik raised his palm, and shouted "_Jierda_!" A flash of light occurred, and Velkan found his shield being crushed. Desperate, Velkan yelled back some words that had come to mind. "_Letta Du Jierda! Thrysta Vindr_." The results were instant, and he found himself getting weaker. The spell that Varinik had sent had been dulled, but he still felt as though he had been pushed out of the way by a stronger force. But his spell, the compression of air, went zooming towards Varinik, and would have knocked him on his feet, if he hadn't screamed "_Skolir_." at the last second.

"Very good," he said, "tomorrow, we will take our training outside, and I will show you more power over the elements. For now, our session is over. Feel free to do as you wish, but I want you to try to find as many words in the ancient language, within yourself, before you go to bed. Is that understood?"

"Yes, master." said Velkan. He and Orphran left the room. _You've been quiet._ Said Velkan. _I...have been listening. I want to know everything that I can, for in two weeks time, I will be able to fly, in three weeks time, I will be able to carry you, and in three months time, I will be breathing fire_. Orphran replied. _What's your point?_ Asked Velkan. _My point, is that I a maturing faster than any other dragon. Soon, Gallbatorix will want us to complete tasks. When that time comes, we must know everything that we can possibly know. _Said Orphran.

_Your right, we need to absorb as much knowledge as we can. Now, lets get some dinner, I feel drained._ Said Velkan. _Wait, on second thought, you aren't allowed in the populated area of the castle. Lets go to the dragonhold, and I go and get some dinner for you, okay?_

_As you wish Velkan, but don't get into too much trouble. _Orphran said. So Velkan and Orphran went to the dragonhold, at the top of the tower. When they opened the door, he was surprised to see how accommodating it was. There was a large pile of hay for Orphran to sleep on, and a small bed for when Velkan slept there. Also, there was a note on the bed. Velkan read it aloud.

_Dear Rider,_

_I hope that this dragonhold is big enough for your dragon, and yourself, if you wish to_

_sleep there. There is a large indent of a window on the large wall. Tell your dragon that when_

_s/he wants to fly out, s/he can walk onto a floor tile marked in red, and it will open. This is ideal_

_for when it is too big for wandering around the castle. When you are coming in from the _

_outside, simply fly though as if your were flying straight to the wall. Also, if you desire, _

_meals can be brought up to the dragonhold for your dragon, and for yourself. _

_The king has also notified us that the entire tower is now yours, and you may do as you with_

_with it._

_Sincerely, the house servants of the noble leader Gallbatorix. P.S. We are now yours to_

_command as well. _

Velkan read, and reread the note, and was grateful for his good fortune. It was not until he realized how late it was, and how much he needed a supper, that he went downstairs to the dining area.

"Is it still dinner time?" he asked a servant, dressed in rags. "No," he said, "but you may still be able to get some food from the kitchens."

"Wher-"

"The first door on the left, all the way down the hall." said the servant, answering Velkan's question. "Thank you," said Velkan, "I will not forget your kindness."

"Your welcome, but it is I who should be thanking you, Velkan."

"How did you know my name?" asked Velkan.

"Everyone knows you, _now_. You are a rallying point to some, because you have become the last rider to hatch a dragon in a hundred years. You went from servant to rider. Everyone is proud of you."

"Thank you, but it was nothing." said Velkan.

"Maybe,"said the servant, "but what is you dragon's name?"

"Orphran," replied Velkan, "he is a deep earthly brown, and our bond is already blossoming. We have already conversed, and we can only get stronger."

"Thank you for you time, Velkan, but I must go. There is work to be done in the household of Gallbatorix."

"Until we meet again, then." Said Velkan.

"Let your sword stay sharp." called the servant.

"And let your heart remain pure." said Velkan, as he made his way to the kitchens. He got to the door, and knocked three times. "Hello," he called, "hello, could you open up please?" he asked. "Hold on, hold on, I'm coming." Came a voice from behind the door. It opened, to reveal a short portly man, who had light brown hair, with gray streaks running through it. "Ahh, you must be Velkan, I've heard about you. I'm Musbank, the cook. Can I interest you in a dinner?"

"Yes sir, that would be much appreciated." Said Velkan. "Well then come in, come in. I have a table right here," He gestured towards a small table, with large chairs beside it, "and I'll just go and get you some supper. How does venison, potato, and carrot sound?"

"It sounds great sir." Said Velkan. "Oh nonsense, don't call me sir, call me Musbank." Said Musbank. "Okay, then. It sounds great _Musbank_." Velkan said with a smile. So Musbank made some dinner for Velkan, and he ate it all in a flash. He bade Musbank goodbye, and left for his tower.

_How was your dinner Velkan?_ Asked Orphran. _Great. It turns out that I'm a hero to all of Gallbatorix's servants, and I made friends with the cook, Musbank. Orphran, what if I'm not cut out for this job as a rider, everyone expects me to accomplish great feats, I don't know if I'll have enough grit to do them, in the end. _Said Velkan. _No grit my tail! Velkan, you did outstandingly in your magic training today, and in you swordsmanship as well. You are right though. _You_ might not be able to accomplish Gallbatorix's tasks, but we will. _

Velkan went back to his room, and started reading all of the books that he was given. He found out more advanced stances in his weapons training, read more on the riders, and found out three new words in the ancient language. They were _Horperd, Kendritha, _and_ Ballimith_. _Horperd_ meant reinforce, _Kendritha_ meant freeze, and _Ballimith_ meant "to attack the mind and both with". He had found them in a book called _The Forgotten Ages_. _Won't Varinik be surprised_. He thought before falling asleep.

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So, what did you think? Love it, hate it? R&R, and send a lot. I made up the three words that velkan "discovered". Horperd, Kendritha, and Ballimith. I also want to give thanks to Du Weldenvarden Farcai. Wh was my first reviewer. You should all read his/her stories.


	4. the Miricles and Secrets of Magic

I don't own any of these characters, except the ones that you don't know. Also, towards the end of last chapter, the last ancient word was supposed to mean "To attack the mind and **body** with". Sorry for that mistake. I'm still doing pretty well though. Special thanks for all who reviewed. I am also building towards a romance, in possibly one to two chapters. R&R!

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Chapter 4 The Miracles and Terrible Powers of Magic

Velkan awoke the next day, feeling thoroughly rested. He got up, and found a fresh pair of clothes waiting for him, neatly folded with a map of the tower. _This is convenient_. He thought. _I'll just go and take a bath, and then see Orphran._

So he went down the hall, and readied himself for a bath. Then, an idea struck him. _Wonder if I can make things waterproof. If I could, then I could read while bathing. _He took a bar of soap, and put hi hand over it, and said "_Skolir adurna_."shield from water. To test it, he put it in the water with one hand, and then took it out and lay it in his other hand. It was completely dry. _If I can do this, what else can I do?_ He thought.

He went to get his book, and returned. He cast the spell, and settled down to read. He found many things, mostly continuations of the riders story, and how dragons had come to be. But, he did find one thing that troubled him. In the book, he found that once a spell is released, you cannot take it back, even if it is about to kill you.

_Why didn't anyone tell me this? If I had pushed my luck, last night, then I would have been killed. From now on, I'm going to be more careful. And another thing. Why didn't Varinik tell me this, it's almost as if he wanted me to die... or maybe, maybe it was a test. To see how much incitive I had, and how badly I wanted to learn. In any case, I'll find out later. Now I should get out, and see Orphran._

So Velkan got out, and as he was dressing, he had an idea. _I wonder what would happen if I used the word for shield, and the word for earth together? Or water and shield, or even fire and shield. The possibilities are endless! _Velkan continued this speculation, until he got to the dragonhold, where Orphran was waiting for him.

_Hello Velkan, did you have a nice bath? _Asked Orphran, in an amused voice. _How did you know? _Asked Velkan. _Our bond grows stronger with each passing day. _Said Orphran, _We are constantly moving closer and closer into each other's mind_s.

_Your right. _Said Velkan, _It has only been a few short days, and already I feel as if I would die, if I could not sense your presence. _

_I am of the same opinion_, said Orphran, _but now, you should go and eat, I will have my food delivered. Besides, you have your sparring lessons shortly after breakfast. You don't want to be late for that. _Said Orphran. _You are right. Soon, when we can fly, maybe the king will let us practice together. _

_Maybe. Now go! _Said Orphran.

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Velkan left the dragonhold, and quickly went down to breakfast, where pig bacon, toasted bread, and eggs were waiting for him. He ate quickly, and rushed to the sparring chamber, where Craran was waiting for him. "You late." He said, in a gruff voice. "I'm sorry I-," but he was cut short. "Don't be sorry, don't do it again, are we clear?"

"Yes Craran."

"You will address me as _battle master_, from now on, is _that_ clear?"

"Yes battle master."

"Good, now did you read any of those books that I gave you yesterday?"

"Yes battle master, I read them."

"Fine then, now I want you to exit this chamber through the door opposite the one you came in, and there you will be able to run around the castle, it is roughly one mile. I want you to run around it in six minutes or less, is _that _clear."

"Yes battle master." he said. " Well don't just sit there and stare at me, GO!" Velkan walked to the door, and looked outside. He began to run around the castle. He sprinted as hard as he could, but found himself tiring about three hundred meters in. He kept going, though, but could not retain the vigor in his step that he had had in the beginning of his run. Finally, he finished, and collapsed to the ground where he had started.

"Get up, get up. There will be none of that. You failed that exercise, _student_. I told you to run it in six minutes or less, you finished in ten. The king may think that you are competent as a rider, because of your magic training last night, but I hold higher standards than that fool Varinik. Up!" Screamed Craran. "Now, go on a recovery jog around the castle, and this time, _don't jog_" As he got up and turned, he thought that he saw a flicker of a smile on Craran's face, as he mumbled something that sounded like "I'd forgot how much fun having a student could be."

He finished the jog, feeling better, and he went over more sword moves. It seemed that every move that Velkan was shown, he mastered. He was just finishing the motions to the double stab slash sequence when Craran came charging at him, and yelled "Defend yourself!"

Velkan was suddenly scared. _We'll surely cut each other to ribbons!_

Craran made a slash move with his huge long sword. Velkan parried, and heaved his sword with an overhead slash. Craran blocked this, and quickly made a stab motion. Velkan blocked, but was too late. He felt a stinging sensation, and groaned. Angered by this, he forgot about his wound, and let loose a series of overhead attacks. Craran blocked each one, and laughed. "Ha! You'll have to do better to beat me!"

Velkan gave an overhead slash, but then, in one lightning fast move, he drew back, and attacked with an underhand cut. His sword cut into Craran's chest. It may have killed him, if not for his chain mail undershirt.

"Fine, your getting there. Now, if your as good as they say you are, at magic, then you should have no problem healing yourself. Training for today is over." Said Craran, and he walked away.

Velkan sat, and felt the blood dripping down his leg. He look at it, and groaned. It was a large gash, but had no depth to it. Struggling, Velkan racked his mind for the right magic words to heal himself. "_Heill_" he muttered, but nothing happened. He continued concentrating, and finally found the phrase. "_waíse Heill."_ Then, he felt a tingling, and his wound was healed, but he felt weaker than ever. Cursing Craran with every name he could think of, he walked slowly to the kitchens. He knocked, and said "Musbank, it's me, Velkan." Musbank opened the door. "Velkan what can I-" He stopped short. Velkan had collapsed.

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Velkan woke up in the kitchen, with a girl standing over him. She had silvery blue eyes, a thin figure, and blonde hair. "Huh?" He said. He was confused. He could remember his training with Craran, and how he had been attacked. He had used magic, but...why?

Suddenly, he felt his stomache, where Craran had stabbed him. It was healed. _That's right_. He said to himself, _I healed myself, and made myself weaker. Because of Craran!_ He sat up. "Where am I?" he asked the girl, "and who are you?"

The girl laughed. "Not too smart for a rider, are you? Your in the kitchen, you collapsed at the door. As for me, I am Delois. Velkan scratched his head. He remembered the word delois from somewhere. It was part of the ancient language, he knew that, but what he didn't know, was what it meant.

He stood up, still feeling weak. _I wonder if I could make myself stronger by using magic?_ He thought. _Lets see, Horperd means reinforce, eke is my, so what do I want to fortify? My magic, strength, power?Maybe if I increase my magic, I could use less energy to do things. It's worth a try, I suppose. _

"_Horperd eka vanyalí!_" He muttered. He felt himself getting even weaker, and he was slipping into a dark abyss. Then, he felt another presence. _Orphran_. He thought. Then, he felt as if he was being snatched out of the abyss, and his strength was returning to him. _Velkan, I was worried. Remember, we share a bond like no others do. _

He opened his eyes, to see Delois staring at him. "Are you okay, you were quiet for a while, and then you started shaking."

"I'm fine. It was only the after effects of a spell. I'm Velkan, by the way."

"I know, my father is Musbank, and he said that he knew you." Velkan nodded. "I met him the other day. If you don't mind me asking, who is your mother, does she work here in the castle as well?" Delois face became sober. "My mother is dead. She was a spellcaster for Gallbatorix. She died during a spell experiment. It was her who named me, in the ancient language, after the Delois flower. It is one of the only words that doesn't have it's name changed when translated into the ancient language."

A clock chimed one o'clock. "I'd better go, or I'll be late for lessons in magic." Said Velkan. "You should eat something first." Said Delois, "here, take this." She held out a small package of food. "It's a pack of some of my father's best bread, along with our natural grown fruit. They have more energy than normal food, but take no longer to eat."

"Thank you," said Velkan, feeling himself turning red. "I won't forget this."

"Neither will I." She said, and with that, she left. Velkan watched her leave, and then left himself. _Orphran, are you there?_ He extended mentally. _Yes. What were you thinking? Trying a spell like that, with words that you've never used. Your lucky that your not dead._

_I know. But I have to become stronger. In battle, someday, what if your not close enough to me, and I have to rely on my own strength to fight. I have to be able to have enough strength to heal myself. _

_Fine, but from now on, until I have to have flying lessons, and my own training begins, I will merge my consciousness with your own, and we will do everything as one. _

Velkan arrived at the room, where Varinik was waiting for him. "Your late." He said. "I know, but I was recovering from having to heal myself."

"Why were you healing yourself?"

"Craran," Velkan said, "Craran attacked me when we were training."

"Well," said Varinik, "I cannot change the past, but I will try to speak tp the king."

"Thank you."

"Now, let us go outside, and we will begin. I assume that you have been practicing , and that you have found many word within yourself." Said Varinik. "Yes," said Velkan, "I know a lot of new words."

"Good, now follow me." Said Varinik. So Velkan followed him outside, and into a forest. They walked on a path, until they came upon a clearing.

"Now,"said Varinik, "tell me, what are the elements?"

"The elements are the natural parts of the world. They are Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water." Said Velkan. "Yes, and no." said Varinik, "The elements are Earth, Fire, _Air_, Water, and _Lightning_. I say air, because the wind is only a branch of the power of air. I say lightning, because it is a natural part of our world, and a power source. Few know of this besides the king. I doubt even the elves know it's full power fully. But know this, lightning has properties of light, fire, air, and of sound. It is great power source, but only temporary. For the power of lightning cannot be materialized in battle for long. Only use it when all else fails."

"Master, what s lightning called in the ancient language?" Asked Velkan.

"Lightning, in the ancient language is called _Garsingar_. But be warned, as I said, use it only when you absolutely have to, for it takes most of your energy, even with Orphran's combined power, it will be terribly taxing on your strength."

_I beg to differ_. Said Orphran in an undertone, to Velkan. He had to struggle not to laugh, but finally cracked, though he passed it off as a cough.

"But enough of that. Now, we will complete some exercises. But only use the elements to fight me." Said Varinik. Velkan took his place across from him. "Good. Now I want you to take a leaf from a tree, and set a small spot in the middle of it on fire. Then I want you to control it, and make sure it does not go beyond the leaf, and burn you."

"Yes master." Then, he took a leaf off of a tree, and held it in one hand. "_brisingr._" He said. Then he held the leaf in his hands, and concentrated on making sure that the flame stayed in the middle. He kept it up until Varinik told him to relent. "Next," he told Velkan, "You must summon a sphere of water, and freeze it. The phrase you will use is adurna -"

"Kendritha." Velkan cut in, "I know, I found it in a book last night."

"What else did you find?" asked Varinik, suddenly serious. "Um, I found Kendritha, that means 'to freeze', Horperd, that's 'to reinforce', and Ballimith is 'to attack the mind and body with." Said Velkan, suddenly nervous.

"Well, that was no ordinary book. It was written by myself, over one hundred years ago, before my people disowned me." Said Varinik. "Your people, do you mean the elves? Why did they disown you?" asked Velkan. "It contains many magical terms, and words. Did you understand it all?"

"Well," Velkan hesitated, "I only read the first couple of pages before bed, last night, but yes, I understood what I read."

"Good, but back to the exercise at hand." They worked at exercises similar to that for thirty minutes. Finally, Varinik said "Good. You have seemed to have mastered those elements. Now, I know that your probably wondering if I am going to ever teach you about lightning. I will, but not today. Now, prepare for battle."

Without warning, Varinik attacked "_thrysta vindr!_" A burst of air was sent, but Velkan was too quick. "_Skölir! Stenr reisa_ _Jierda!_" He yelled, and a shield protected him from the air. A large stone, the size of a chair was sent towards Varinik, but the 'jierda' spell crushed it pebbles that pelted Varinik from all directions. "_Garjzla Knífr_" light knife. Yelled the elf, and a white light flashed. Velkan had only seconds to leap out of the way. _He combined two words to make one phrase, I forgot about that. _

_Well, here goes nothing. _"_Stenr moi jierda_" He yelled, and some nearby boulders were immeadietly ground into a fine dust. "_Adurna_" he muttered, pointing his hand at the ground where Varinik stood. Varinik didn't seem to notice, he was too busy groping around. "_Jierda_" He sent into the dust, just missing Velkan. "_Thrysta vindr_" said Varinik, and the dust flew up high in the air. He looked at Velkan, and was about to cast a spell, but Velkan was too quick "_Kendritha_." The ground that Varinik stood on froze, and he slipped."_Brisingr stenr! Reisa!_" Said Velkan, and a nearby stone glowed red hot, and rose in the air. He quickly directed it to where Variniklying, and held it above his head. "Yield." He said, and the duel was over.

"Good, said Varinik. Tomorrow we will meet here again, and practice more with the elements. It is clear to me, Velkan, that you are a natural spellweaver. Tonight, read through that book, and find as many terms as you can. But before you leave, answer me this. How is it that your spells do not make you any more tired than eating?"

"Well sir..." and he told him about his experiment in the kitchen, and about Orphran. "Well, now, that was a good spell indeed, and you do surprise me, I didn't think that you would have tried this sort of thing after only two days. But I caution you to keep this experimenting to a minimum, after all it can be dangerous. Dismissed."

Velkan went to the dragonhold, and stroked Orphran. _I could have died today, if it wasn't for you, thanks. _

_No problem, but remember now you are stronger in magic, twice you defeated Varinik, you should be proud. _

_I know, it's just that I wish I could be making this much progress in my physical training._

_Is there no spell that you can think of,__that could help you?_

_Not at the moment, I'm going back to my quarters to freshen up, and then I'll walk around the castle, and see who I meet._

_Very well. By the way, your not trying to run into anyone buy any chance are you?_

_What are you-_

_Like, say...Delois_

_I-_

_Because I warn you that if you get to close to someone, they may eventually break your heart._

_How would you know? You've been alive for all of three days._

_Remember my advice._ And with that, Orphran put a barrier around his mind.

Velkan went to his room, and washed off the fine layer of dust that had accumulated on his skin. Just as he was leaving, he noticed a slip of paper on his dresser. He picked it up. It read:

_Dear Rider Velkan,_

_It has been decreed by the king that you have tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday_

_off, to do as you please. In addition, you have all of the following Saturdays and Sundays off as_

_well. You are welcome to visit the city of Urû'baen__so long as you are in by sunset. _

_Sincerely the Noble house of Gallbatorix._

_Wow, two days at the week's end to do what I want. _He thought. Then he got an idea. _And I know exactly what I'm going to do with those days as well_. And with that, he rushed out of the room.

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This is probably my longest chapter yet. Still working on that romance. Thanks to reviewers!

Also, I made up the word _Garsingar_. Besides, I don't think that lightning is even an element. My next chapter will be short, but meaningful. As always, R&R!


	5. Note from the Author

1Author's note

ok, so here's the deal. I haven't worked on this fan fic in months, so a little help would be nice. So don't be surprised, if the writing styles differ from the chapters before this note, and the ones after it. I promise to update at least once a week, because it is summer here. I hope to have this done by the end of my summer. Your reviews mean a lot, so please R&R. Thank you for taking the time to read this note.

-Altimate


	6. Paralyzation

This is Chapter 5 of my fan fiction story. Don't be surprised if my style of writing has changed, its been six months after all. Remember, I like to make up words and characters, so those that you don't recognize are mine, and those that you do are CP's, Fox's ©, and Random House's ©.

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Velkan left the room, letting the not fall from his hands. Two days away from training, and the castle; that would stand as an excellent treat! He already knew what he would do with this time, as well.

With new ideas filling his head, Velkan began to wander the castle. Suddenly, he felt a had lump. He looked up, to se two cloaked figures, a deadly, fearsome, stench protruding from their bodies.

He open his mouth to apologize, but the words wouldn't come. Only a gasp of fear. Suddenly, he couldn't move. It was as if his arms and legs had suddenly gone numb.

_Orphran!_ He screamed mentally.

Through their connection, Velkan heard a loud snore. It appeared that Orphran was sleeping.

_It looks like I'm on my own_. He thought grimly, looking up into the frightful, beady, eyes of the figures.

Then, one of them pulled out a small dagger, and began waving it in front of Velkan's face.

_God's_, he thought, _I _have _to get out of here. _

Then, a thought struck him. _What if I used magic to free myself? That is, assuming that I can talk. _He searched through his memories, for some type of spell that could repel them. Finally one stuck out from the rest, and he chose it.

Summoning the power of magic, Velkan opened him mouth, and shouted "_Garjzla abr dag!_" light of day.

Suddenly, with the intensity of one thousand white hot burning suns, a brown tinted light issued forth from Velkan's hand.

The results were immediate. The cloaked figures stepped back, and Velkan began to feel movement in his body once more.

They fled quickly, but not so fast that Velkan caught a bit of their exchange of words. "_Cccome brotherrr. Heee isss not worththth ittt_."

Velkan stood stunned. How had he known that light was the best defense against the figures? The the thought puzzled him all of the way back to his room.

Upon entering, he tried to contact Orphran once more.

_Orphran_ he screamed mentally, _where are you?_

_Velkan_, said Orphran, _is there something wrong? I am in the dragon hold Galbatorix set up for me._

_Yes, I was suddenly attacked by two hooded figures, and couldn't move._

What!_ Tell me the entire story, and leave nothing out._

When Velkan had finished, Orphran was shocked.

_What I still don't get, is why you heard me sleeping, when you tried to contact me. I was sleeping, yes, but you screaming at me should have woken me up._

_Well, it didn't. The only thing I can think of, is that maybe you're a heavy sleeper. After all, you did spend about a hundred years inside an egg._

_True. But now, what are you going to do? Are you going to tell Galbatorix, because something like this really requires his attention._

_I agree, but I don't entirely trust him._

_Nor do I._

_Then who _can_ I trust?_

_There's Musbank._

_Yes, but he's not in a high enough position to do anything about it._

_What of Varinik?_

_Well, he had a nice enough disposition. Sure, why not._

_Don't make a decision, unless you are one-hundred percent sure about it._

_I am don't worry._

_I know, I just fear for you. You have been a rider for only a few days, and already you are learning magic, being attacked, and thinking of asking lovely ladies to go with you into town._

Velkan's cheeks turned red. _I never said I was going to ask Delois to come to town with me._

_Who said anything about Delois_. Said Orphran,

Flustered, Velkan said _No one, now go back to sleep, I'm going out again._

_To do what? _Asked Orphran, even though he already knew.

_None of your business._ Said Velkan heatedly. He walked out of the room, and slammed the door, severing the connection between he and Orphran. Now, for the second time, he was going to attempt to talk to Delois, and not even the hooded figures would stop him.

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What do you think? I originally had more in this chapter, but I decided to split it to make my fic have more chapters. R&R people, because the more reviews I have, the more inclined I am to update more. ;)


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